Gnosticism: Rediscovering Lost Christian Spirituality Through The Lens Of Vedanta
How the Nag Hammadi manuscripts reveal parallels with foundational principles of Advaita philosophy.
Most of us are familiar with the word agnostic but are slightly uncertain about Gnosticism, so let me explain the origin of the word first. The word “Gnosis” comes from Greek and means knowledge or the act of knowing. However, this knowledge is different from rational and logical knowledge obtained through reading books or listening to a guru and instead refers to a form of knowledge obtained through experience or perception. From this perspective, it bears a strange resemblance to the revelation or enlightenment experienced by Eastern mystics, which is different from "bookish" knowledge obtained by reading the Vedas or Upanishads. Ramakrishna blessed many of his disciples by saying: “Tor Chaitanya Hok” - which can be translated as “May you be aware” or “May you realize (the truth)”.
In the first century after the appearance of Jesus Christ in the Middle East, there were many schools of Christian thought, each with its own set of followers and reference books. One of these groups was what we now call the Gnostics. Christianity as we know it today is based on the accounts of the life of Jesus Christ written by four individuals, namely Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John. These are the books, or Gospels, that are accepted by Christians, both Catholics and Protestants, as authentic. But in the early centuries after Christ, there were many more books that described the same events circulating.
However, in the clash of ideas among the various sects and the competition to be recognized as the sole true owner of Christ's inheritance, one group prevailed over the others. In India, we can find a parallel in the conflict between Shaiva and Vaishnava, although the results were not as one-sided. The brand of Christianity based on the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John triumphed and established itself as the dominant brand. And to safeguard its position in the "market," its "leaders" - in the true spirit of the barbarism of those times - worked to destroy any evidence of rival schools of thought. Followers of other schools were branded as heretics and killed, and their books were burned.
Over time, and with the active connivance of the dominant Christian church, these alternative versions of Christianity disappeared from public memory and would have been lost if not for an Egyptian farmer who found a series of rare manuscripts in 1945 in the village of Nag Hammadi. And our perception of Christianity has never been the same. The Nag Hammadi manuscripts introduce us to the 'lost' school of Christian thought. There is a particular similarity between the thoughts and ideas of Vedanta and the Sanatana Dharma of India. In particular, there are three characteristics, which are also the three pillars of Gnostic philosophy, that stand out in their equivalence to Vedantic philosophical experience.
The three main characteristics are:
A] The FIRST essential trait, perhaps the distinguishing trait, of Gnosticism is the assertion that "direct, personal, and absolute knowledge of the authentic truths of existence is accessible to human beings." The Sanskrit word for philosophy, vision, and sight is Darshana: the vision and the Hindu saints and sages have always affirmed that this vision appears to those ready for it. Furthermore, Gnosticism is not based on a logical and rational approach to Truth. This direct vision or personal revelation comes from a flash of knowledge, a kind of "knowing" or direct cognition that is beyond the mind's ordinary function. In the Hindu tradition, this is referred to as a state of "superconsciousness" "transcendental consciousness" or simply "intuition." Such intuitive knowledge or revelation is not limited to religious or spiritual insights but can also encompass scientific and artistic truths. This intuitive knowledge is the basis of all authentic knowledge and has been referred to as "knowledge by identity."
B] The SECOND important trait of Gnosticism is the belief in the concept of "divine spark" or "divine essence" within every human being. This concept is found in various forms in different spiritual traditions, and in Hinduism, it is referred to as the Atman, the eternal Self, which is identical to the Supreme Reality, Brahman. This inner divinity is the source of all knowledge, all wisdom, and all creative power. Gnostics believe that through self-knowledge and self-realization, this divine spark can be awakened and united with the transcendent Godhead.
C] The THIRD fundamental characteristic of Gnosticism is the recognition of the illusory nature of the material world and the belief in the existence of a higher, spiritual reality beyond this material realm. This belief is also central to Vedanta, where the physical world is considered as Maya, an illusion, and the ultimate reality is Brahman, which is beyond all dualities and distinctions. The Gnostic tradition emphasizes the need to transcend the material world and attain union with the higher spiritual reality through the process of self-realization.
This shows that elements of early Christian thought had, on the one hand, (a) converged towards the worldview of Advaita Vedanta and, on the other hand, (b) could actually diverge from what was accepted as the worldview of "classical" Christianity; the latter prevailed and managed to push Gnosticism out of the public domain. However, the discovery of the Nag Hammadi manuscripts shows that Truth can be hidden but rarely destroyed.
It’s very interesting to analyze the following text, from a Vedantic perspective:
“He said, "I have come to make the things below like the things above, and the external things like the internal things, and to unite them all in the Place." He has manifested here through symbols and images. Those who say that there is someone above and someone below is mistaken. In fact, what has manifested is what is called "that which is below," and what the hidden things belong to is "that which is above" him. It would be good, truly, to say this: "the inside" and "the outside" and "the outside of the outside." That is why the Lord called corruption "the outer darkness," outside of which there is nothing. He said, "My Father who is in the secret."
He said, "Enter your chamber and shut the door behind you and pray to your Father who is in the secret," that is, who is in the interior of all things.
Now, what is in the interior of all things is the pleroma. Outside of it, there is nothing that is internal to it. This is what is said: "That which is above them." “
(Gospel of Philip the Apostle - Nag Hammadi Library)
So the idea that what we perceive as "below" and "above", "external" and "internal" is only an illusory distinction. The author states that Jesus came to "unite the things below with the things above". It speaks of "that which is above him" and "that which is below" as something illusory. This recalls the Vedantic concept of Maya, the illusion that separates us (the Atman) from Brahman, the ultimate Reality.
Jesus describes corruption as "the outer darkness", similar to how Maya is seen as a condition of darkness, ignorance and limitation. - He speaks of praying to the "Father who is in secret", within us. This recalls the Vedantic concept of Brahman as the inner Reality that resides within all things. - That which is "within all things" is defined as the pleroma. Similarly, Brahman, the ultimate Reality, is what resides within everything. It is stated that "outside of it there is nothing within it", similarly to how in Vedanta it is said that Brahman is the One.
The triad of Semitic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, may appear in stark opposition to the Indian Advaita Vedanta philosophy, but as this analysis "humbly" demonstrates, there may be a deeper unity among all worldviews that will likely emerge over time.
I have woven tales to share, for any who care to read them. My books await you on Google Books.
